It was a Sunday afternoon when a driver saw the child walking alone along Dekalb Street.

The 3-year-old had nearly reached the busy U.S. 74 highway.

She was barefoot and carrying an infant.

When Pam Bright, a program manager for child protective services at the Cleveland County Department of Social Services, responded to the call, she said the only thing the girl could tell her was her first name, the baby’s first name and that she was looking for her mother.

She said the child’s feet were abraded and the baby’s diaper filthy.

There was no missing person report filed with police.

Bright said eventually, they discovered the mother had left her children with a relative while she went to party. When the caretaker grew tired of babysitting the children, he simply left.

Bright said the real-life scenario is just one example of how a child is seized as a result of imminent risk.

During a recent DSS meeting, Bright talked about how the agency functions and the role the community needs to play in the lives of children throughout the county.

Each month, the agency fields calls from concerned family and community members reporting the abuse or neglect of children in Cleveland County.

In March, there were 96 child protective service calls received and five children removed from their homes.

The agency currently has custody of 227 children.

Everyone must report abuse, neglect

Reporting laws vary from state to state, but in North Carolina, everyone is a mandated reporter.

Bright said North Carolina is also a suspicion state.

She said if a person has a reasonable suspicion a child is being abused or not cared for properly, they need to call DSS.

On average, Bright said the agency takes in 120 reports of abuse or neglect a month.

Children are often taken into custody for three reasons — abuse, neglect and dependency.

Dependency occurs when a child has no family to care for him or her.

Bright described neglect as sins of omission — parents or caretakers not doing what needs to be done — and abuse as sins of commission — caretakers actively harming a child.

Imminent risk can also be declared if the agency is working with families to improve issues and there is no improvement or the situation gets worse in six months.

Bright said the top reasons children are removed from a home are substance abuse and mental issues.

Another common issue is intellectually handicapped parents.

Where do the children go?

Alison Clark, program manager for child permanency and adoptions, said the agency works hard to keep the children in the home, if possible, even if it’s through a kinship arrangement where family members take in the children.

If no suitable family member is found, then the agency looks at placing the child in foster care.

Last month, there were 85 licensed foster care homes in the county.

If there are not enough homes to take in the children, they have to be sent out of the county.

Bright said the county has a high rate of abuse and neglect cases, but the numbers are partially a result of actively getting out and partnering with law enforcement, hospitals, Guardian ad Litem and schools to identify children at risk.